12 Min Read
Jun 16, 2025
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Percent of people (all ages) who experience food insecurity. Food insecurity is not having enough food for an active, healthy lifestyle.
Black Kansans (3 in 10) and Latino Kansans (2 in 10) experience higher food insecurity rates than non-Hispanic White Kansans (1 in 10).
Food insecurity forces families to choose between basic needs, such as food, housing and medical bills. It disproportionately affects people who are Black and Hispanic or Latino. Discriminatory systems, such as redlining, the now-illegal practice of denying home loans based on race, create lasting economic inequalities and barriers to affording and accessing food.
Source: Odoms-Young & Marino (2018) in Family and Community Health; Feeding America; BROOKINGS; Mapping Inequality.
Note: All Kansas residents = 2,934,000. People can be included in the data as both “Black, Any Ethnicity” and “Latino, Any Race.”
Source: Kansas Health Institute analysis of Feeding America, 2023.
Kansas Health Foundation
Kansas Health Institute
The Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE) Household Survival Budget estimates the bare minimum cost of household essentials to live and work, while the Stability Budget adds additional costs needed for a financially stable household. This includes a 10% savings category.
The estimated survival budget for a Kansas household of 2 adults and 2 children in child care.
4 in 10 Kansas households earn less than the ALICE Survival Budget threshold and can’t afford basic needs, such as food, housing and health care. ALICE families may work full-time, earning above the federal poverty level, yet struggle to earn enough income to meet the demands of the current cost of living.
Source: United for Alice Kansas Report.
Note: Federal poverty level (FPL), survival budget and stability budget are shown at state level for a household of 2 adults and 2 children in child care (1 infant and 1 child who is pre-school age). FPL is a guideline used by the U.S. government to determine eligibility for various social programs, including Medicaid, Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), and the Child Tax Credit. Two annual household incomes were selected as examples to provide context to the survival and stability budgets. ALICE budgets can vary by county and household type. Miscellaneous category includes a contingency fund equal to 10% of the budget. These budgets do not include debt, auto repairs, cable service, travel, laundry costs or items such as holiday gifts or dinners at restaurants. Taxes include federal and state income taxes assuming a salary equal to the respective ALICE budget total. Tax credits include the Child Tax Credit and the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit.
Source: Kansas Health Institute analysis of ALICE Threshold, 2022; Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment Statistics, 2022; Department of Health and Human Services poverty guidelines, 2022.
Kansas Health Foundation
Kansas Health Institute
Percent of households below the Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE) Survival Budget threshold. The ALICE Household Survival Budget estimates the bare minimum cost of household essentials to live and work.
4 in 10 Kansas households earn less than the ALICE Survival Budget threshold and can’t afford basic needs, such as food, housing and health care. ALICE families may work full-time, earning above the federal poverty level, yet struggle to earn enough income to meet the demands of the current cost of living.
Source: United for Alice Kansas Report.
Note: Total number of Kansas Households in 2022 = 1,162,920. The map represents the percentage of households in each county unable to meet their estimated Household Survival Budget.
Source: Kansas Health Institute analysis of ALICE Threshold, 2022.
Kansas Health Foundation
Kansas Health Institute
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a federal program that provides benefits to low-income individuals and families to purchase groceries from authorized retailers. The program aims to reduce food insecurity, improve nutrition and support better health outcomes. During fiscal year (FY) 2024 in Kansas, an average of 188,710 Kansans received SNAP benefits.
Food Stamp Act — Emergence of Pilot Food Stamp Program
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Food Stamp Act, making it a federal pilot program to help low-income families afford food. This built on over 20 years of research and other legislative proposals beginning with the food stamp pilot initiative during the Great Depression, which aided hungry families and absorbed farm surpluses. Kansas tested the Food Stamp Program in 1967 and officially adopted it in 1971.
Food and Agriculture Act
Robert “Bob” Dole, U.S. Senator (R) from Kansas and a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, helped lead bipartisan efforts to reform the Food Stamp Program. His work with South Dakota U.S. Senator George McGovern (D) modernized the program, making it more accessible by:
Welfare Reform
The federal Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) introduced stricter rules:
Food, Conservation, and Energy Act
The program was renamed SNAP instead of “Food Stamps.” Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards became the standard for distributing benefits.
Great Recession Response
To help families struggling during the recession, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) increased SNAP benefits by 13.6% and waived the three-month limit on benefits temporarily until 2013, when benefits returned to normal levels.
Kansas HOPE Act
Kansas enacted some of the nation’s strictest SNAP rules with the Hope, Opportunity, and Prosperity for Everyone or HOPE Act, including:
COVID-19 Response
During the pandemic, Congress temporarily increased SNAP benefits and made it easier to qualify. This included a 15% benefit boost to help struggling families until September 2021 and states received extra funding to process the surge in applications.
SNAP Benefit Increase
The USDA updated the Thrifty Food Plan, which determines SNAP benefit amounts. This led to a 21% permanent increase in maximum benefits to better match food prices. After this change, the estimated maximum SNAP benefit increased to $2.38 per meal. Prior to 2020, it was $1.97 per meal.
Farm Bill Extension
Congress extended Farm Bill provisions, including nutrition programs, through Sept. 30, 2025.
Note: This timeline highlights key events that were selected based on their impact on eligibility, benefit levels and program administration, particularly within Kansas.
Source: Kansas Health Institute analysis (as of March 2025) of select key policy changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) at the federal and state levels using data from: U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (2023 and 2021); Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP); U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service (2001 and 2019); Kansas Department for Children and Families (2017 and 2025); Congressional Research Service (2023); Feeding America (2021); Urban Institute (2021).
Kansas Health Foundation
Kansas Health Institute
Percent of child population that experiences food insecurity. Food insecurity is not having enough food for an active, healthy lifestyle.
Food insecurity varies across regions. These disparities are influenced by limited access to grocery stores, transportation and community food programs in rural areas. Food insecurity contributes to higher risks of adverse health outcomes for children, including chronic conditions like asthma and obesity, as well as social and behavioral challenges.
Source: Healthy People 2030; Kansas Health Matters; U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Note: Overall Kansas food insecurity (all ages) in 2023 = 14.0 percent. For the legend, bin breaks are determined using equal intervals based on the full range of food insecurity estimates at the county level across the child population in Kansas.
Source: Feeding America, 2023.
Kansas Health Foundation
Kansas Health Institute
Average annual grocery spending and percent of pre-tax income spent on groceries by consumer units. Although sometimes used interchangeably with “households” for simplicity, multiple consumer units could live in the same household if they do not make joint financial decisions (e.g., roommates).
Although households with the highest 20% of income spend nearly 2.5 times the amount on groceries as households with the lowest 20% of income, these expenses are a much lower share of their annual income.
The price of groceries in the U.S. rose 5.0% from 2022 to 2023, double the 20-year historical inflation level. The cost of food impacts household purchasing power, behavior, community health and nutrition. Higher food costs may result in consumers shifting their purchases to less-nutritious and less-costly foods.
Source: Kansas Health Institute; Center on Budget and Policy Priorities; Dong et al. (2020) in Agricultural Economics; Wang et al. (2021) in Health Economic Review; U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service.
OVERALL
LOWEST 20%
SECOND LOWEST 20%
MIDDLE 20%
SECOND HIGHEST 20%
HIGHEST 20%
Note: Income groups use respondent income quintiles. Food-at-home includes food and non-alcoholic beverages purchased at grocery stores, supercenters and other retail outlets. It does not include non-food items found in some grocery stores (e.g., cleaning supplies or toiletries) or restaurant food.
Source: Kansas Health Institute analysis of Consumer Expenditure Survey – 2023 (published in 2024) from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Kansas Health Foundation
Kansas Health Institute
Nutrition program utilization refers to participation in one or more of the following programs: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); and Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (Summer-EBT). Free groceries refers to a household receiving free food from a food pantry, food bank, church or other place that provides free food.
Access to resources such as SNAP and WIC during pregnancy and early childhood can improve birth outcomes, reduce chronic medical conditions later in life and increase financial security for women. These programs also generate economic activity beyond the benefit’s value.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service and Food and Nutrition Service; Hoynes et al. (2016) in American Economic Review; Hwang & Kim (2024) in Maternal and Child Health Journal.
Note: Respondents were surveyed on the household level and responses were weighted for population estimates for adult population age 18 or older.
Source: Kansas Health Institute analysis of U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Household Pulse Survey: Aug. 20‒Sept. 16.
Kansas Health Foundation
Kansas Health Institute
